History of Surfing

Above the Roar

Contributing To This Entry

Square-jawed power surfer from Papeete, Tahiti; world-ranked #17 in 1992 and 1993; known for his big-wave cool and his easygoing Polynesian charm.

David was born (1968) and raised in Papeete, and began surfing at age 10. He won nearly every contest he entered in the mid-'80s—including the juniors division of the 1984 French Championships and 1985 European Championships—but was nevertheless a dark horse going into the 1986 World Amateur Surfing Championships, in Newquay, England, where he def...